Rivergang

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Posts by Rivergang

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  5

  New Years Eve

  by wozza in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here it is ,the end of a year and a new one starting tomorrow.. i do not want to reflect on the bad the year brought us ,but thankfully i will move into the new year glad that i am still here to enjoy the good things in life that are still here .. though i've had some personal bad stuff happening like all do from time to time i did have things to be thankful for ,like my loving partners support and a wonderful christmas visit with my daughters family and grand children.. i had to plan my driving trip to queensland in between covid shutdowns but this made it more exciting and helped me to see i should not take family for granted.. so i'm thankful for the good the year brought and yet sorrowful for those in the world who had bad things happen.. that's the stuff of life and sometimes it's worse for a while and then change brings better times.. i don't believe the strike of clock will bring change but what we do in our lives will ,i've made bad decisions that have lbrought life long change for bad but i have made some for good.

  some things from outside will bring change ,like covid ,but it is how we handle things that really matters for the future.. the one big thing i am thankful for is getting insight from this wonderful site that helped me see what the disgusting watchtower org is in reality , and over the years have seen thru others here how they broke the clutches of a cult of liars.. so thank you all and hope that the future brings some happiness as well ,agong with the sorrow and especially to all the ozzies on here.

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  Rivergang

  Smiddy3

  Too right!
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  85

  President Trump has tested positive for COVID-19

  by Funky in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-says-he-and-first-lady-have-tested-positive-for-coronavirus/ar-bb19cg4u?li=bbnb7kz.

  given his age and weight, he is at very high risk of needing to be hospitalized.. trump is arguably the most well-protected man on earth, and he got it.. people.....wear a fruggin' mask!.

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  Rivergang

  Not at all surprised. Ultraviolet radiation has long been used (along with other measures) in water treatment plants , for the production of safe drinking water.

  Also, ultraviolet-generating LEDs have been readily available for over 30 years. (Not just as industrial products, either - Dick Smith Electronics in Australia used to market these in hobby kits.

  
  

  I guess it was only a matter of time before somebody put 2 and 2 together; both in developing a practical method of sterilising air by means of UV radiation, and in using solid state components to achieve this.
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  34

  Was Jesus Born on December 25th?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  we were told by watchtower that no way jesus was born on dec. 25th.

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  what do you think now?.

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  Rivergang

  I'm out in it twice a week right now for my son's soccer games.

  We are out till 9-10 pm
  

  
  

  Is that all?

  We are not talking here about a few hours watching soccer games (which finish before 10pm), before heading indoors to a warm bed. That is quite a different situation to sleeping out on bare ground, all night and every night, during which the pre-dawn grass temperatures often approach freezing.

  The Met Service's 24 hour temperature charts only confirm what any of us who have worked night shifts in outdoor conditions (and in a variety of different climates) have already learned from experience

  - i.e. The coldest temperatures of the day occur just after first light of a morning.

  Furthermore, its effect on human physiology is exarcerbated by the body's Circadian Rhythms, which are at their lowest ebb around 2:30 am. Again, shiftworkers quickly find out all about that phenomenon.

  To use the old expression, "You ain't seen nothing yet" when you call it a night before 10pm.

  Of course, all the foregoing assumes that the climate of Israel was the same 2000 years ago as it is now.

  In fact, Climate Change is not at all a recent phenomenon.

  Certain passages of scripture, together with archeological research strongly suggest that Israel's climate was once both cooler and wetter than it is now. After the time of Christ, a process of gradual desertification set in. This was hastened by the denuding of Israel's once extensive forest cover - a process that continued into the early 20th Century. (Removal of the forest cover is a near-certain way of reducing rainfall, as they are presently learning in the Amazon Basin).

  It is assuming a lot to take for granted that Bethlehem's climate was the same then as it is now. In all likelihood, those shepherds the Gospels talk about would have encountered colder and wetter conditions than are now the rule.
  
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  34

  Was Jesus Born on December 25th?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  we were told by watchtower that no way jesus was born on dec. 25th.

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  what do you think now?.

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  Rivergang

  Mid-winter grazing of livestock in open fields is one thing (that happened all the time where I grew up.

  However, sleeping out on the bare ground is quite another matter, when the ground temperature can often be 4 to 5 degrees Celsius less than the “standard” air temperature - and thus near to freezing.

  Bloody hell - have you ever tried it!
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  34

  Was Jesus Born on December 25th?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  we were told by watchtower that no way jesus was born on dec. 25th.

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  what do you think now?.

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  Rivergang

  According to the website www.weather-and-climate.com, average December temperatures in Bethlehem range between a daily high of 14 degrees C and an overnight low of 7. Also, its climate is influenced by the Mediterranean effect, which produces summer drought and winter rain. As a consequence, one fifth of its annual rainfall (111 mm) falls during December, resulting in an average of six rainy days for that month.

  Latitude is not the only thing which determines climate. Other factors are also at play, including altitude. Bethlehem is 775 metres (2,543 feet) above sea level - something which needs to be considered when comparing it with other places of similar latitude. Reflecting its higher altitude, some of Bethlehem's precipitation falls as snow, and on average the month of December sees one day of snowfall.

  While some may describe an overnight low of 7 Deg.C (44.6 Deg.F) as being "mild", it is hardly conducive to sleeping out under the stars - particularly if there is also a good chance of precipitation, whether in the form of rain or snow.

  Furthermore, these "average" air temperatures are measured under standard conditions - inside an enclosure known as a "Stevenson Screen", which is mounted four feet above the ground. This temperature can be quite different from the ground - or "grass" - temperature, which is more applicable to anybody camping out in the open (as the shepherds of Jesus's time were described as doing).

  In terms of both latitude and altitude, Bethlehem is similar to Australia's New England Plateau region. Around the towns of Glen Innes and Inverell, one does not willingly camp out in the open during the southern hemisphere's equivalent of December!

  Although extremely distrustful of anything the JWs / WTS have ever said, on this particular matter, they way well have a point!
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  34

  Was Jesus Born on December 25th?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  we were told by watchtower that no way jesus was born on dec. 25th.

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  what do you think now?.

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  Rivergang

  Who cares?
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  26

  So What Religion do You Claim to be when Entering Hospital?

  by mikronboy in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  i've had a few medical procedures.

  once, i had a massive loss of blood and needed 6 units of blood to replace the loss.

  however, i'm curious as to what ex's state to be their religion when filling out the required paperwork when being admitted into a hospital.

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  Rivergang

  Last time I was in hospital (2017), that question was not asked of me. Were I ever asked questions as to my religious affiliation, I reckon I would tell them “Bush Baptist”.
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  17

  Reading the Watchtower publications will give you an university education.

  by Overrated in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the watchtower said that reading their stuff would get you a college education.

  can anyone recall that gem?

  my parents sure bought into that crap.

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  Rivergang

  Either that or a Diploma in Idiocy from Tasmania's University of Lower Crackpot.
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  43

  Dumb Elders

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i knew a few pretty intelligent elders .

  sometimes i would wonder why they remained as elders or even witnesses because they were successful men who made a good living and were highly respected because of their qualities.. that is a rather small group.

  most elders that i know of aren’t the brightest bulbs in the sky.

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  Rivergang

  who walk around with a self entitled air of importance.

  That reminds me of one whippersnapper who, after appointment as an elder, acted like he was the final authority on every possible subject there is. While admittedly a person of above average intelligence, his knowledge of many of the things he held forth about could have in fact been written on the back of a postage stamp.
  
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  12

  Who owns the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society

  by pistolpete in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  actually no one does.. i know this is a concept that can be hard for some to grasp, considering all other forms of organizations like sole proprietorship, general partnership, an llc, or a for profit corporation.

  these organizations are created legally for the simple purpose of making a profit.. but unlike a for profit corporation,---- a nonprofit corporation is formed to carry out-.

  whether that be religious, educational, charitable, scientific or other qualifying purpose.

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  Rivergang

  When I first starting reading WTS literature in the late 1960s, I can recall notices being issued in the Watchtower, which advised of an upcoming shareholders meeting. This meeting was for all those who held shares in the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. (I seem to remember a figure of 500 shareholders being mentioned).

  In a non-profit organisation, where would such shareholders fit into the scheme of things, then?